Ministry of old and new

Ministry of Sound has been relaunched
11 April 2012
The Weekender

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The Ministry of Sound reopened on Thursday night, redecorated and with the addition of tables, chairs and a cocktail menu to cater to the maturing needs of its maturing customers.

Club bosses took the new approach after realising hardcore dance fans have grown up and become more concerned with mortgages than all-night raves.

And although the Ministry has enjoyed one of its busiest years, bosses at the club at Elephant and Castle said they appreciated their customers might want a different kind of of atmosphere.

Guests at the relaunch party who feared that the 12-year-old superclub had gone all middle-aged, however, need not have worried. The new Ministry is pretty much like the old Ministry - humid, loud and crowded - only with a new lick of paint.

"It's a bit of a sweatbox, isn't it?" shouted TV cameraman Luke Clayden, 26, a first-time visitor. Well, yes, that was always the point.

Within five minutes of the doors opening, the few dozen new chairs had been occupied, bodies were three-deep against all of the bars and dance music was reverberating up the crowd's communal breastbone.

Before long the main dance floor was heaving. At 11pm Michelle Heaton from Liberty X was whisked into the glass room suspended inside the new VIP area.

What did she think of the refurbished Ministry? "It's wicked, great," she said. Was she a Ministry veteran? "No, I've never been here before."

Down below, radio presenter Harriet Scott arrived and climbed onto the shoulders of her friend and colleague Toby Anstis for the photographers. he was lucky to get a seat.

The Ministry's chief executive, Mark Rodol, insisted clubbers now expected a "more sophisticated" experience. But clearly, not that much more sophisticated.

At 37, I'm a year older than Mark Rodol. Shortly after midnight, mindful that this was a work night, I joined the other thirtysomethings heading off to catch the last Tube or bus. The Ministry hasn't got old. We have.

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